s Commis n io ct le E n a le C s en Citiz Bulletin Volume 3, Quarter 4 sion November 2006 Message from the Chair As the 2006 election cycle comes to a close, we would like to thank all of the legislative and statewide candidates who ran for office, in both the primary and the general election. It takes a special person to run for elected office and we, in Arizona, are lucky to be surrounded by just such people. We would also like to thank every campaign volunteer for their hard work and dedication to their candidate as well as everyone that gave a $5 qualifying contribution. Volunteers are the backbone of campaigns, without them much of what happens behind the scenes would never be accomplished. Lastly, we would like to offer a special thank you to all of our debate sponsors. The debates were all professionally handled with record numbers in attendance. This is the fourth election cycle since the Clean Elections Act was passed in 1998. We are proud to see that the percentage of participating candidates running has increased. In the 2006 election cycle, 60% of the legislative and statewide candidates running for office ran as participating candidates. This demonstrates that the Clean Elections Act is working as the voters intended, opening the door for increased involvement in Arizona’s political process. Inside the Bulletin News and Notes 2 Information 3 Based on the feedback received during the 2006 election cycle, the Commission will be looking at how to better the Clean Elections Act. If you have ideas or comments, please contact the office at 602-364-3477 or email them to michael.becker@azcleanelections.gov. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Commission would like to wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday. Sincerely, Marcia Busching Chair State of Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission This Bulletin is intended to be an informational tool used to update parties regarding the Commissions’ projects and developments. If you have further questions, feel free to call the Commission directly and speak with any staff member at 1-602-364-3477 or toll free at 1-877-631-8891. As a state agency, we are here to serve you. Contact Information: 1616 W. Adams, Suite 110 Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 364-3477 (602) 364-3487, fax 1-877-631-8891, toll free www.azcleanelections.gov Page 2 The Citizens Clean Elections Commission Bulletin November2006 News and Notes • The Citizens Clean Elections Commission would like to offer a friendly reminder to all participating candidates. Any money left in a campaign account must be returned to the Commission within 7 days after the general election recap campaign finance report is filed. If you have your campaign expenditures taken care of before that deadline, do not hesitate to send the campaign funds back earlier. You may keep the necessary amount to pay any outstanding bills and they must be paid no later then 30 days after the election. However, if the 30 days have passed and the bill is still contested, the candidate must contact the Commission, in writing, of the status. The candidate must continue to update the Commission, in writing, until the issue is resolved. Once the contested bill has been paid, any money left should be returned to the Commission immediately. Should you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Commission at 602-364-3477 or toll free at 1-877-631-8891. • The next campaign finance report is due on December 7th. This report will cover the time period of October 19th to November 27th and will include the identification of any money that has been returned to the Commission. • 97 out of 161 candidates running for legislative and statewide offices ran as participating candidates. • 12 out of 18 statewide candidates ran as participating candidates. • 85 out of 143 legislative candidates ran as participating candidates. • For more news and notes please check out the Citizens Clean Elections Commission’s website at www.azcleanelections.gov Please visit the Citizens Clean Elections Commission website at www.azcleanelections.gov to view the latest Commission news. You may also access publications such as the Act, Rules & Policies Manual. While you are visiting the Commission website, please take a moment to sign up to receive e-mail newsletters at www.azcleanelections.gov/linkto.asp?linkId=47. If you have questions, feel free to contact Voter Education Manager, Mike Becker, at (602) 364-3477, ext 210. ns Citizens Clean Electio Commission Bulletin Volume 3, Quarter 4 November 2006 1616 W. Adams, Suite 110 Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 364-3477 (602) 364-3487, fax Thank you very much for taking the tim e to rea d our thi rd qua rte r Bulletin! The Bulletin is pub lished once a quarte r and is posted on the Commission’s website. 1-877-631-8891, toll free www.azcleanelections.gov Visit us on the Web! www.azcleanelections.gov 2006 Fourth Quarter Commission Meeting Schedule Citizens Clean Elections Commission Commissioners Marcia Busching, Chair Ermila Jolley Gary Scaramazzo Carl Kunasek Royann Parker Commission meetings are held in the Citizens Clean Elections Commission conference room at 1616 W. Adams in Phoenix. Please contact the Commission or check the Commission website, www.azcleanelections.gov to confirm meeting dates and times. The Commission meeting minutes and agendas are available free of charge on the Commission website. Additionally, past minutes and agendas are posted on the website. Upcoming Meetings November 30 Thursday, 9:30am December 20 Wednesday, 9:30am Please refer to www.azcleanelections.gov for agendas & additional documents